Thank you for the lovely tutorial. We can all use this information.

Thanks, Glenn. I will try the alcohol first as I know I have some. I'll report back.

I'm refinishing the cabinet for a Belvedere Adler I bought last weekend. It has a thick coat of latex paint on top of nicotine, decades worth from the smell of it, and then shellac. I'm using the Citristrip and it's taking all 3 layers off at once. I like the Citristrip, it has little odor and it does a good job if I remember to goop it on. I always spread it too thin and end up putting more on later.
The wood is just gorgeous underneath! I'll use Briwax to finish it because I intend to use this machine a lot.

Glenn, I tried a small area with rubbing alcohol as it's all I had and nothing...so I tried a small area with acetone and it became tacky and the the finish started coming off. So I guess this means it's laquer? What would be my options with a laquer finish?

Yes you have lacquer. You options are to sand it down smooth and spray a new coat of lacquer. I you don't like the honey finish you can strip it down stain it in the color o choice and then use shellac or any other finish you like. I recomend if you strip it use shellac it is easier to repair if need be.

Cabinet
 

I would apply a coat or two of shellac before the briwax

Thanks, Glenn.

I'm glad that this has been revived. The weather is getting good enough that I'm so-o ready to try Glenn's recipe on some of the old treadle cabinets that I've been collecting. Maybe a trip to Home Depot is on my list of things to do today.

Hi, I have been reading numerous posts for awhile and have started refinishing a treadle cabinet. I am at the shellac stage and wonder since it dries so fast and I have to keep a wet edge, would it be best to do this on a humid day? I live in OK and most days during this time of year are humid. I realize it would probably take longer to dry between coats and to cure longer than a week, if it is real humid. Is there anything I can do to keep it wet on these very windy and hot days? Thanks to Glenn and all those who have such detailed instructions on how to care for and beautify these lovely old machines and cabinets.

You really should not apply shellac in very humid weather it can turn white on you. You can apply shellac with a rag with a little lineseed oil on the rag with the shellac and wipe it on the finish.